giving new life!

[englundjd]

Alright for those of you that haven't seen my thread in the camaro/firebird section I just picked up a red 1994 Formula auto trans. The interior is in amazing shape, its got good tread on the tires, no rust.

Now for the not so amazing... It has a small dent on the drivers side quarter panel, needs paint, and needs an engine. I am going to pull the engine out the top and see what happened in there. The previous owner said he heard it start knocking and it promptly over heated and locked up. I'm guessing it will need new rings, bearing, turned crank, and resurfaced heads. I'll prolly put ARP rod bolts and such in it while I'm there, maybe some bolt ons... nothing major yet anyways




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pic of the 1/4 panel damage

update on car mods to be done:
arp hardware
new main/rod bearings
new piston rings
head gaskets
full emissions delete
1LE elbow (stock one is torn pretty bad)

below is stuff i'd like to do if the money is right when i get to that point in the build:
catback
pacesetter lt (or LPP if there still avalible/cash in hand when i'm ready for them)
CAI
possible cc304 cam (depends on condition of cam when i pull it out of the camaro)
3:23 or 3:42 gears
tune
The goal of this car is to be a good reliable cruiser/summer DD
I am going to try to find most of the bolton parts used so we'll see what I come up with.

[popo8]

Lookin fwd to ur build man!

[englundjd]

I'm going to order parts for the camaro and bird at once so i'll be working on funnyz at the same time... sooooo it might get done someday. I've got about $1500 dollars worth of parts to get plus I still need the camaro block checked and I'll prolly have the block on the bird checked out/crank ground down... assorted other things maybe
:whistling:

[95albinobird]

looks like a solid foundation looking forward to seeing progress.....the designer and anyone associated the "fan rims" should have been taken out back and beat down then fired....don't get me wrong dude i'm not giving you hell i doubt you bought that car because you just love those rims.LOL

[englundjd]

no the rims will go eventually... all though I'm more about go then show. Eventually they will be replaced lol.

[englundjd]

i broke the engine loose and looked at the oil (wasn't anything shiny hanging onto the dipstick and the oil was normal colored) yesterday after work and cleaned the interior out a little bit. This afternoon I'm going to get a battery put in it and see what happens... maybe it'll run lol


edit: started it up and it tells knock knock jokes... very loudly and has about 20psi cold, idle fluctuates but i suppose thats to be expected. I only let it run for maybe 30 seconds. Sounded like a damn diesel.

updated op to include some things i'm going to do to the car while i'm there.

[englundjd]

got a little bit of work done today, I pulled the fans, radiator, and a/c condenser. I also got some of the sensors on the front of the engine unplugged and then had to stop to get other things done.

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[englundjd]

got a few more things done today... alternator is outa there and the power steering is out of the way also unplugged more of the harness... its getting there slowly

[englundjd]

The Y-pipe and I had some bonding time today! i got all the nuts off with a breaker bar but the bolts were warped somehow soooooo yea had a good time hitting it with a hammer... all my rage and anger have been beat into the y-pipe. lol

[englundjd]

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Hooray for shiny stuff!!! now just waiting for rings, gaskets, and ambition to pull motor the rest of the way for tear down...

[englundjd]

Got the engine out this afternoon with the help of a few friends, some hard work, and some cussing. We went out the top and pulled the engine and trans all at once. I pulled the hood, radiator, a/c condensor, p/s pump, alternator, intake, 1 valve cover, and y-pipe. I did not have to pull the balancer, cowl, waterpump, a/c compressor. We had the engine at wild angles once or twice but it was fairly straight forward. Bent the hell out of the trans cooler lines before I realized they were caught on something, but they didn't kink so I can bend them back.. All is good

found a little carnage under the intake and the trans mount was broke in half lol
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lifter is way up away from the cam, dog bone is above the spider, the spider is bent up, the pushrod is out of the lifter cup and probably bent. cant wait to see the rest... lol

[englundjd]

sorry guys I didn't get pics of the removal cause we were going at it hard... ain't nobody got time for that!

P.S. no wrenches were thrown across the yard in the removal of this drivetrain

[englundjd]

Ohh just so all of you that are following this know, I've decided to skip straight to the turbo with the camaro and drop the nitrous idea for a few reason, so the fireturd will get a few go fast parts that were going to go on the camaro... which includes my cam 231/239 109lsa LE cam, comp pro mags, the milled heads, LPP longtubes, and thinner headgaskets I had for the camaro. And to top it off I'm going to pull the trans out of the camaro and put it in the bird, so I'll have my 3600rpm Yank in the bird now. Then I'm thinking 3:42 gears in the rear, I liked the 3:73's that the camaro has but it just a little much on the highway.

[englundjd]

got some more work done tearing down the engine but the clouds were moving in and its looking like rain. I got the manifolds off with no broken bolts :) also pulled the accessory bracket and the water pump.

On another note I noticed that the opti had the vent ports on it... this is either not a 94' engine or someone has swapped opti styles
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And yes, I am doing this on the ground in my back yard :D

[popo8]

More pics!!! Lol.

Keep at it man.

[englundjd]

Pulled the valve train out after work minus the springs. All the rockers and pushrods look good, nothing bent. 15 lifters look very good, a tad bit of wear around the outside but the rollers looked brand new on them... had 1 lifter that looked amazing!
:rolleyes:

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[englundjd]

more work done on the engine today :) got the balancer and hub off, then pulled the timing cover and cam. also pulled the trans off the engine. Then I rolled it over and pulled the oil pan but had to quit because the sun was going down.


Stock cam is screwed as i already knew. Its not as bad as I thought it would be though.
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pulled some metal out of the oil pump screen... fun fun
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For some odd reason all the gaskets in this engine have looked pretty new... I'm kinda interested to have the bores measured and see whats going on here.
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So I was talking to a buddy the other day and I told him that if he wanted I could build this engine for him, and I would pull the camaro short block and put it in the firebird along with the tranny out of the camaro.

I know none of you guys are fans of the pistons in the short block thats in the camaro but will they be fine in this car since i'm ditching the nitrous idea? For reference: Note that its not a failure of the piston, its casted that way.
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[Sahara54]

There's a glitch in the matrix. This build feels like deja'vu. Good luck man, keep us updated.

[englundjd]

There's a glitch in the matrix. This build feels like deja'vu. Good luck man, keep us updated.

lol why do you say that?

I got more done today. I can say that the short block has been completely torn down now. 4 pitted and 1 spun bearing later...

the good rod journal...
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lovely bearings :shiner:
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This main bearing was spun :rolleyes:
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gonna take pics of the bores tomorrow..

sold the stock exhaust manifolds and y-pipe to some guy for $30... yay beer money:D

[englundjd]

Don't mind the dirt i'm just doing this in my back yard.. much to my girlfriend's dismay.
:girlshit:

[englundjd]

I have an update...
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Out with the old and in with the new! I have the LE cam in the engine now, I also got the 7/16" rocker studs and guide plates put on the heads also. Need a valve spring compressor to change valve springs and finish cleaning the mating surfaces for the heads and timing cover then i'll be on to bolting the heads down...

Also posted the old cam and springs for sale...

She is never going to see this, but I'd like to recognize my girlfriend for keeping me company while I work on this and even occasionally helping. She helped me clean off what was left of the old timing gasket after this picture was taken.

[englundjd]

To give an update, I have been fighting with my old valve springs and my crappy valve spring compressor trying to take them off. So far I have 6 left.. I started early last week on this. The locks are kicking my butt... Then off to the machine shop again with the heads since my nephew decided he needed to scratch the shiny side in a few places :/

[SSlowBoat]

To give an update, I have been fighting with my old valve springs and my crappy valve spring compressor trying to take them off. So far I have 6 left.. I started early last week on this. The locks are kicking my butt... Then off to the machine shop again with the heads since my nephew decided he needed to scratch the shiny side in a few places :/
Smack the valve with a rubber mallet before you put the compressor on, a couple good whacks usually loosens em up so when you compress it they pop right off

[englundjd]

Smack the valve with a rubber mallet before you put the compressor on, a couple good whacks usually loosens em up so when you compress it they pop right off

Yea I went and bought a new mallet just for those last few lol

[englundjd]

Got bored and decided to take some pictures of my lovely scratched heads.


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[oldschool]

Nice build....I have some nice, cheap, ported stock heads for ya if you want ;) lol (shameless plug)

[englundjd]

Yea, I just started a new job and I had to buy a second set of tools for it so right now I'm just waiting for my birthday, I THINK my girlfriend is going to have the heads resurfaced for me. I shot a few pictures to Lloyd and he said they would clean up real well... so for now I'm just waiting

[englundjd]

Heads are back from the machine shop, waiting on a few little things then i'll be assembling the heads!

[englundjd]

Heads are ready to be put on! finally... :laugh:

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[englundjd]

I measured my combustion chambers, came up with 53cc. I am hoping this weekend that I can mount the heads and line stuff up. hopefully be able to measure my pushrods and get the engine and trans set back in the car this weekend and then fire it up soon after I get my pushrods.

Also have a solomon tune coming...

[tleed]

I hope you checked the piston to valve clearance if you went to a bigger cam

[englundjd]

if you can explain to me how to do that without the heads on and no pushrods then I'll gladly check but i dunno how to do that other then strap stuff down and spin it over by hand to see... tleed

[SSlowBoat]

Strap it down and spin it over. Most of the time you will be fine if it's not over .600 lift

[tleed]

I must have read it wrong I thought you already mounted the heads

[englundjd]

got work done last night..
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Have a friend coming over in a bit to start dropping it in.

[englundjd]

Got the engine in and bolted down. LPP I installed the headers today, I went in threw the top on both sides since I couldn't go up any farther with the body. I just pulled the bolts out of the motor mounts and raised the engine a few inches. The drivers side went right in with no issues (starter isn't mounted yet so that probably helped). The drivers side fought me a little more, I had to unhook the steering linkage and wiggle it around a bit but it did go in. Also I had to massage the rag joint tabs a bit cause they rubbed a bit. No issues with hitting the K-member or the underside of the car. I'll get some more pictures of the headers tomorrow.
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[englundjd]

Got an Lpp Y pipe in the mail today. Wasn't able to work on the car today, the lady made me help do some cleaning since the landlords are showing the house tomorrow.

[englundjd]

I checked pushrods today, and ordered a set of 7.1" trickflows off summit... got a few more pictures of the headers.

PLUG ACCESS FOR DAYS!!!!
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Got good ground clearance
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Unfortunately my mounts settled about a 1/4" and while we are not quite touching the K-member on the pass side, it is super close so i'll probably hit the k-member with a cutoff wheel and give it some clearance. Also I think I am going to have to clearance the top steering knuckle a bit. Nothing crazy to report.
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This is where I am at, got a couple issues to fix but were getting there.
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[englundjd]

I've I didn't take an pictures today but I have the radiator and a/c stuff all hooked up, some of the valves are set. Basicly all I need to do is install the intake, hook up sensors, tune pcm, hook up driveshaft and torque arm, clearance valve covers for rockers, finish setting valve lash. Then I'll add the fluids and give it a go. I hope to be taking it for a test drive by Friday night. it has to be ready to go by Saturday when we move. wish me luck...

[englundjd]

I got the intake bolted down, valves set, coolant added, oil added, powersteering fluid added. Only had to fix one leak, i'd say i'm doing good lol

picture is blurry but this is where I'm at
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[englundjd]

on friday night and saturday I got a lot more done, had some issues with a ground but did finally get it ready to start. Unfortunately I didn't have time to get a first start done on saturday. Next friday I plan to hook up the driveshaft and put the valve covers on and button up the k&N and such. Then hopefully I can give it a first start on Friday night.

[englundjd]

on another note I need to find a damn coil wire. The taylor wires I ordered came with 2 coil wires and neither of them fit on the coil lug. freakin stupid.

[englundjd]

It started up, it ran, it drove, the headers still need some clearancing. I think that new motor mounts would have fixed all my issues, I am however rubbing just a little on the steering shaft, its not bad but a little annoying. The car made a 150 mile trip on the day that it first started, I made a few trips around town then hit the highway. The car needs the gears installed still but otherwise it is running good on a Solomon tune. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10200400722697910&set=vb.1751018978&type=2&theater&notif_t=video_tag ...the car is idling around 1000rpm. I feel that I need to have it lowered down, i want to hear my lope
:metal: